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Mills Gibbons Training Grenade - Restore or leave?

Millsman

Millsman

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Picked up this Gibbons training grenade the other week. Looks like it been sitting on a garage shelf for 90 years. Has a lovely brown rust cover but has picked up traces of either black paint or bitumen. The screw holding the sprint has been hammered so the slot for a screwdriver is no longer there. Even the base plug needs work to see the details.

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Question is restore to good condition or leave it?
 
That really is a "sleeper" Good find though. If it was mine I would go for a brass wire brush and WD40, not much else. Tony.
 
What restoration needs to be done, John? It's a nice original find and all that is needed is a good clean in soapy water, and thorough drying, as then as Tony says application of a small brass wire brush and WD40. The soft brass screw may well have suffered the damage landing on a hard surface during its working life so should be left as is. What lever was found with it? Also is the body marked with an H under the lever?




Tom.
 
Hi Tom

There's no H under the lever. There was no lever with it but I've added a ridged lever which shows the spring still works very well. The damage to the screw means it will have to stay put though there's a load of dirt under it which is not very accessible.

The fact that there is paint/ bitumen over the plug and parts of the body tells me a clean up is required but the rusty patina is also rather nice.
 
I've cleaned it up.

The deciding factor was the black tar / bitumen that was speckled on the body and the plug.

I'm glad I did.

The clean up revealed the following

1. A crack in the body - understandable if used in training.
2. Base Plug dated 1 / 17 and maker marked JGW No 23 Mk II (Same as the one in my collection)
3. The spring is marked

*** Gibbons
Patent Applied for
4/16

(*** Looks like)

4. Body has a 5 mould mark under the lever.
5. A chipped shoulder

So I'm pleased I cleaned it up. I've never seen the markings on the Gibbons Spring before. I've had a few over the years but this is the first marked spring I've seen.

John
 
Thanks, that's a very nice example. It shows the light zinc coating that was applied. I have one in similar condition.
 
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